India Report on Digital Education, 2020

India Report on Digital Education, 2020

• Recently, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has launched the India Report on Digital Education, 2020.
• Recently the MHRD has been renamed as the Ministry of Education.

The Report:

• It has been prepared by the digital education division of MHRD in consultation with the education departments of the states and union territories.
• It elaborates on the innovative methods adopted by the MHRD, for ensuring accessible and inclusive education to children at home and reducing learning gaps during the Covid-19 pandemic.

MHRD Initiatives:

• It has initiated many projects to assist teachers, scholars, and students in their pursuit of learning like DIKSHA platform, Swayam Prabha TV Channel, On-Air - Shiksha Vani, e-PathShala and telecast through TV channels.
• It also released guidelines on digital education called 'PRAGYATA'.

State Initiatives:

• States and Union Territories have provided digital education at the doorstep of the students. Some of them are:
• Social Media Interface for Learning Engagement (SMILE) in Rajasthan.
• Project Home Classes in Jammu.
• Padhai Tunhar Duvaar (Education at your doorstep) in Chhattisgarh.
• Unnayan Initiatives in Bihar.
• Mission Buniyaad in NCT of Delhi.
• Kerala’s own educational TV channel (KITE VICTERS).
• E-scholar portal as well as free online courses for teachers in Meghalaya.
• They used social media tools like WhatsApp Group, Online classes through YouTube channel and Google meet to connect to the students.
• Some of the states/UTs like Lakshadweep, Nagaland and Jammu & Kashmir have also distributed tablets, DVDs, and pen drives, equipped with e-contents to students.
• They have also distributed textbooks at children’s doorsteps to ensure inclusive learning in remote areas where internet connectivity and electricity are poor.
• Several states have also focussed on the mental well-being of the children e.g Delhi conducted happiness classes.
• MHRD has also launched the 'Manodarpan' initiative, which aims to provide psychosocial support to students, family members, and teachers for their mental health and well-being during the times of Covid-19.

Way Forward

• The report will serve the purpose of cross-learning, adapting, and adopting best practices across the country.
• While the education is moving towards blended learning through online and offline mode, it shall be the endeavor of all the stakeholders in the field of education to ensure that no student is left behind for want of affordability and accessibility of quality education.